


By the Moons

by LittleDelanceyDoll, Wolvesnight



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Abuse, Attempted Rape, Flashbacks, Gen, Sexual Assault, Slavery, original trilogy, set pre to mid rebellion, some flashbacks to post vader times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-08-17 14:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8147464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleDelanceyDoll/pseuds/LittleDelanceyDoll, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolvesnight/pseuds/Wolvesnight
Summary: They ran, escaped the lives they'd been forced to live and never looked back. They were many things--- daughters, hostages, slaves, street rats, bounty hunters, fugitives...but heroes? When Athleenia and Varia--- known to everyone else as Ilum and Jehda--- find themselves thrown headfirst into a rebellion they barely understand, they have to try, lest their lives finally manage to beat them.





	1. Smell of Desperation

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collab!  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated, as well as constructive criticism.

 

Crouching closer to one of the many bodies littering the floor, Jehda tilted her head at the white armored body. Standing a couple feet away was her older sister Ilum, the redhead frowning angrily as she checked over one of the many guns littered on the floor, fingering the trigger.

 

“What we do to piss off the Empire?” Jehda chirped, poking the still twitching corpse of what she knew to be a stormtrooper.

 

“Don’t play with it--” Ilum said, turning to fire the blaster with narrowed eyes. She pursed her lips as she looked to the scorch marks on the wall, finally throwing it back onto the ground. “I don’t know, but we really don’t need to stick around and find out… I don’t feel good about all of _this_.” 

 

Jehda snorted, wiping the bloodied end of her vibroblade on the material of the stormtroopers clothes before standing up and stretching.

 

“Nothing like twenty something stormtroopers to give ya that good ol’ _bad_ feeling sis. Coulda told ya something was wrong when our contact decided to up the price at the last minute.”

 

“I could’ve told you that as well, but I was hoping that the money was genuine… we could’ve used it to get some better weapons, or clothes that can actually hold back the weather.” She kicked a helmet angrily, swearing under her breath.

 

Sighing tiredly, Jehda rubbed a hand down her face. “If they set this up, you know they’ve already detained our ship.”

 

“Dammit--- I just got her fixed up, too.” Ilum mumbled angrily, giving the helmet another half-hearted kick. “There goes all the cash I’ve put into her, especially those new engine upgrades. If I **_ever_ ** get my hands on these empire fucks…”

 

“Ya, ya, next time Lee, but right now we have maybe an hour tops before they start out for our blood.”

 

“They shot first!” Ilum snarled under her breath, hurrying to grab what she could use off of the bodies. She knew most of it was worthless— not even The Hutts were stupid enough to buy stolen Empire weapons— but the habit to make sure they had all they could kicked in. “C’mon, we can get a head start on ‘em.”

 

“Well what’s the one place in this backwater planet we can get a ride off this dust bowl with no questions? Let’s go find whatever bar this town has.” Jehda grinned, sheathing her vibroblade as she skipped out the door.

 

“Watch your ass--- Jehda!” She practically ran after her sister, exasperated by the fact she barely even realized she was gone until she was out the door. “For the love of--- wait up, and _don’t be stupid_.”

* * *

  
  


By the time the sisters made it to a cantina, they were prepared for a fight at every corner. The dark cloak Ilum had bought barely covered her face, the faded and worn onyx fabric blowing in the dry desert wind. She entered the bar with a sigh, muscles tensing as she waited for whatever the lowest of the low had for her.

 

“Please stay close,” she practically begged, looking over to her younger sister.

 

Jehda just hummed at her sister request, tugging the rugged blue cloak farther over her head. “We need to find someone with the smell of desperation around them.” she murmured, becoming more withdrawn the closer people wandered around them. Glancing around with narrowed eyes, she suddenly grinned at a scruffy looking man in the corner; the force almost crooning around him. _‘Him, him!’_ it whispers.

 

“Found our ride.”

 

Ilum had been watching the man for some time, her violet eyes flicking over his face as she tried to decide if she trusted him enough with her life. At the same time, she questioned what the best plan was to get them on a ship with little to no hassle. “You feel it, don't you?” She asked, unable to take her eyes off of the man. “What if we’re wrong this time?”

 

“Then we do what we always do, sister.” she said, slipping her arm around her sisters. “We fight our way out.”

 

With a grin, she dragged them both over to the man, ignoring her sister’s sudden stutter in step once the wookie came in view.

 

“Jehda, the answer is **_no_ ** ,” she whispered quickly, tugging her arm back. “I'm not getting on anything without knowing I won't be ripped apart.”

 

“What’s the fun in that.” she whispered back.

 

“By the force… I’ll kill you if this goes wrong.” She hissed, barely giving her sister a chance to answer before smiling at the man. Yes, she was trying her best to flirt with him, but every part of her wanted to turn back and run. With a grin that showed her canines, she sat down at the table, catching both off guard. “I’d hate to interrupt a serious conversation, but I was wondering if one of you know a ship we can use. It's _very_ important.”

 

“See, it’s kinda short notice, so we are willing to pay _handsomely_.” Jehda winked, throwing herself down beside the wookie.

 

Ilum had felt the sting of a hustle more than once, something she hated getting into every time, so she quickly showed the man a small pouch of money she had collected. “My name is Ilum, and this is Jehda, if you must know…”

 

“Annnd I smell trouble” the man smirked, lounging back even farther in the uncomfortable cantina chair. The wookie warbled in agreement, grumbling down at the close proximity of the girl beside him.

 

“Maybe it's just the money you smell,” she said, leaning forwards so no one else would hear her. “My sister can move if your friend ain't comfortable, but I'd rather we get out of here as quickly as we can. The **_heat_** is getting to be too much for us, you see.”

 

The man glanced at his wookie friend, before leaning up in his seat. “And where exactly are you wanting to go?”

 

“Anywhere that isn't here,” she replied, leaning back in her seat as she let the hood of her cloak fall to her shoulders, revealing her features for the first time. She knew the usual reactions— Firrereons had rarely been seen since the planet was destroyed, the few who were alive living as popular slaves among the Hutts.

 

“Is there room for us, or do we need to look elsewhere?” Jehda demanded, throwing down her hood with a huff.

 

The other man seemed to enjoy keeping the girls in suspense, his smirk widening as he finished his drink. It was only when Ilum went to stand, sharpened fingernails pulling the pouch of money away, that he chose his answer. “I've got room, but I'll need 2,000 for the trip out of here—1,000 up front since you seem to be all set.”

 

Ilum fought to hide her smile, nodding as she quietly stood up. “We’ve got nothing to pack, so you don't have to worry about carrying too much weight— all you have to do is pretend you never saw us.”

 

The man glanced at the wookie across from him, and nodded slightly. “The names Han, Han Solo, and the furball over there’s Chewbacca-” said furball gave a noise of indignation at the name, to which Jehda stood up along with her sister.

 

“Docking Bay 94.” He smirked. “Meet us there in two hours.”

 

“We will be there, don't worry.” Ilum said, placing the money into her pocket before turning on her heel, the fabric of her hood once again covering her golden features.

 

“See you then,” Jehda smiled, giving another wink before spinning after her sister, faded blue covering the vibrant coloring of her two-toned hair again as she sidled up to her cloaked sister.

 

With a small smile, Ilum took her sister’s hand, not once looking back at the man they had met. She stayed silent the whole way, with one thought on her mind: not even she or her sister’s instincts could tell her where they were going.

 

“I think we could use a drink.”

 


	2. Don't call me Sweetheart

Jehda leaned on the wall of Docking Bay 94, watching her sister pace back and forth with amusement.

“Two hours,” Ilum growled, pausing to take a quick glance around the hangar before resuming to pace.

“They're late by thirty minutes sis, calm down-” Jehda said, smiling slightly as she watched her sister resume her pacing. Stretching back against the wall, Jehda froze, feeling the sudden— almost blaring— feel of warning. “Hide!” Jehda yelped, diving behind a loading crate. The door hissed open, Ilum and Jehda grimacing to each other at the newest arrivals. A Hutt slithered through, followed by seven men all sporting weapons.

“A Hutt-”

“And the Mandalorian,” They murmured to each other before Ilum put a finger to her lips. Both had a hand on their weapons, jumping slightly when the Hutt yelled into the hangar.

“ **Solo! Solo! Too Nakma Noya Solo** ”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Jabba.”

Ilum hissed slightly at the calmness in the man’s voice, teeth bared slightly as she saw the slug-like creature talk to him as a friend--- if not a boss to an employee. A low growl built in her throat as she aimed her pistol between the behemoth’s eyes, sharp teeth bared as she readied to shoot. The wave of hatred disappeared when the movement of the other armed men caught her eye, and she forced herself to put the gun down. It was one thing to kill a random smuggler or slave owner, but to kill a Hutt was something she knew they couldn’t handle. “I told you these feelings could be wrong,” she said bitterly, glaring harshly at Han before moving back to her sister.

“We don’t know anything yet.” Jehda whispered back, peeking around the crate and glaring at the man in the Mandalorian armor. “If anything, it sounds like they're getting ready to kill ‘im.”

“Your friend Han seems perfectly happy with talking to the damn slug…” Ilum said under her breath, trying to calm her heart rate down. “The Hutts practically own the slave trade here— if they've found out about the fact we escaped, they might go looking for the reward.”

“Then we take on any who stand before us and freedom.” Jehda whispers back, watching the Hutt and his entourage leave the hangar with a focused gaze. Only after did the door close completely did Jehda jump up from behind the crates.

“Now that that’s over with- BY THE FORCE!” Jehda yelps, ducking in time to miss the blast aimed for her, dirt from the earthen wall raining around her.

“Goddamn it kid!” Han yelled.

“Put the gun down, or you won't have a hand to shoot next time!” Ilum growled, her face animalistic as anger coursed through her. The urge to shoot the man for trying to kill her sister was almost overwhelming, her violet eyes dilated from the adrenaline coursing through her as her skin colored silver in anger. “I mean it.”

Han sighed, shoving his pistol back in it’s holster. “Calm down sweetheart, she startled me is all; she’s fine.”

“Don't call me sweetheart,” Ilum snapped back, lowering her own gun. “You told us to wait here, so we did— you never told us you had business with The Hutts.” Venom dripped from her words as she said the name of the crime family, eyes narrowed. “Why was that slimy bastard here, anyways? If you think for a second you can pull the rug out from under us…”

“I’m usually a smuggler by trade _sweetheart_ , and on the rim if you don’t go through some of the Hutts for business, well..that just makes you a _poor_ smuggler.” Han retorted before turning to the Wookie behind him. “Go ahead and grab our other two passengers Chewie, while I show our more violent guests the ship.” The Wookie gave a grunt of an answer, before leaving.

“Now, my violent guests, meet the Millennium Falcon.”

* * *

 

If it wasn't for the fact that there was an entire ship in front of her to tinker with, Ilum would have shot him the moment he turned around. She was still unhappy about the ‘sweetheart’ comment, her blood boiling slightly as she stepped onboard, mentally jotting down all she could do with what little supplies they had. Without realizing she was doing it, she trailed her fingers over the walls, smiling softly as she quietly wondered what it would be like to own a ship meant for more than a couple people and only a couple week’s worth of supplies.

“What all do you smuggle in her?” She asked, smiling softly despite the resentment that still resided in her mind. Machines were one of the few things she could find solace in, her mind slowing down when she had something to tinker with. “You're obviously fit to carry more than a handful of guns or whatever you people like to get passed the empire.”

“You ever smuggled anything?” Han asked, chuckling under his breath as he watched how the younger woman seemed to glow as she stared at his ship.

“Well there was this time with Gizka.” Jehda chirped, head popping out of a random hole in the wall she managed to uncover.

“Please don't talk about the Gizka.” Ilum groaned at the mention of the creatures. “They were the worst!”

“But they purred when you pet them and were so cute-”

“-And they almost overran our ship and tried to eat through the wiring to the light speed controls-”

“-But the one guy liked them!”

“The guy who was tied up?”

“Ya, that one contract we took with the floppy nosed guy...Kinda wondered what his species was.”

Ilum gave her a sharp look at the mention of the contract, shaking her head slightly as she looked over the hole her sister had found. “I'll give you a hint, Han Solo: if a man ever asks you to transport a bunch of creatures, do not do it.” She said, smiling crookedly before rolling her eyes at her sister. “Also, I hope my sister’s big head won't hurt your equipment.”

“Hey, I take offense to that!” Jehda yelled, voice echoing slightly as she descended back in the hole. “Oh, shiny!”

“For the love of— Jehda, don't shove your head into holes without knowing what's in them.” Ilum said, sounding more like a stressed mother than a girl of only twenty-one. “I know you've got a thick skull, but electricity straight to the brain isn't healthy for you… you've already lost enough brain cells as it is.”

“Note taken,” Han said, raising his eyebrows at their conversation. “Do you always fight with the little sand monkey, or is it just because you've got company?”

“I hate to say it, but yes.” Ilum replied, shrugging slightly. “She ain't killed anyone— or herself— yet, though, so I'm not complaining.”

“Ya, it usually only gets better when other people are around!” Jehda grinned, heading popping out of yet another piece of wall she opened farther down the narrow hall of the ship.

“Stop crawling through my ship!” Han yelled after her, the white wall being put back in place as she disappeared again.

“Jehda, I'll leave you on the next planet we stop at if you don't stop!” Ilum threatened, a smile threatening to break through as she watched her sister. “Please don't get stuck, at least!”

“No promises!” she echoed back.

As Ilum turned to argue with her sister some more, Han checked the time, smirking to himself as if he had won a prize. “I hope you two don't mind, I found a couple other passengers for our maiden voyage.” He said as he turned to the open docking ramp of the ship. “If you'll get settled, they should be here-.”

“What a piece of junk.”

“-any moment now.” he smirks, disappearing down the ramp.

“She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself.” Han answers, causing Ilum to roll her eyes. The man really was too proud of his ship.

“Are you sure about this, Jehda?” Ilum asked, walking away from the conversation behind her. She could feel her stomach twisting slightly, the feeling that they were in over their heads coming back. “I can't help but feel that something big is headed our way…”

“Ya...Fate usually has a feel like that big sis.”


	3. The setup of a good joke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations are at the bottom.

_“Mama-- I want my mama!” The little girl wailed, reaching a hand out to her mother._

  _“Varia! Not my daughter! No!”_

_“Papa--- Papa please help us!”_

_“Take care of your sister, Athleenia_

 

Jehda gasped awake, the jolt of the ship going into hyper speed enough to knock her off the crate she had been napping on. “ _Varia! Not my daughter! No!”_ Jehda twitched at the memory, her mother's desperate cries lingering in her ears as she stood up and stretched. ‘Don’t think about it,’ she told herself, shaking off the memory before hearing the sound of voices. Stepping out of storage, she followed them down the hallway of the run-down ship.

 

As she entered the hold, the first thing she noticed was Ilum perched across from two strangers, the gold-skinned woman glaring through narrowed eyes as she watched their every move. The distrust she obviously had for the strangers in her company filled the room with tension, the younger man seeming overjoyed at the distraction when the younger Firrerreon entered.

 

Jehda paused in the doorway, tilting her head at the new people. “pæraṇi minihā hā eḷu kavuda?” She questioned, edging around the two humans and over to her sister.

 

“Anek magīn,” Ilum said in a clipped voice, snorting slightly as she looked over at her sister with disdain in her eyes. “Mama hitannē api ovungē maraṇa pera un Tatooine piṭataṭa dina dahayak denna.”

 

Jehda shook her head, feeling an almost uneasy feeling about the older man. “mama dannē næhæ ... pæraṇi minisā gæna yamak …” Jehda shivered, feeling the pulse of the force against herself. “ohu sahōdariya pēnavaṭa vaḍā væḍi yamak vē,” she warned.

 

“Ē mahalu minisā?” Ilum questioned, laughing to herself as she looked him over again. “Ohu yanna paḷamu ennam…”

 

“I think you’ll feel surprised.” The old man said, raising his eyebrows at Ilum.

 

“Pardon me?” Ilum said, more out of shock than politeness. There was a moment of silence as she tried to collect herself, eying him warily as she realized he was in fact commenting on what she had said. “You—”

 

“-You understand us?” Jehda beamed, all mistrust forgotten as she practically vaulted to the table the older man was sitting at. “It’s so great for someone to actually understand Firrerrese without it just being my sister or some stuffy protocol droid-”

 

“Well, I beg your pardon!” C-3PO interjected, receiving a sharp glare from Ilum.

 

“How do you know Firrerrese?” She asked rudely, slipping down from her seat to cross the room. Whereas her sister was excited, only more mistrust came from his knowledge of her language. “No one knows it anymore— only the people who learned it from birth. You _aren't_ Firrerreon, I know that.”

 

“I grew up as a youngling with many of your kind in the temple, and out of many who switched to basic in the order, I always remembered them holding on tightly to it.”

“To our people, our language is kinda held in high regard.” Jehda hums, eyes going distant at the memory.

 

“It almost defines every part of our culture, from names to poems to songs,” Ilum said, watching him with a sliver of sadness in her eyes. “Now that everything we have is gone, I'd like to hold onto it as a surviving member of my race.”

 

“Gone?” he questioned, a frown wrinkling his brow as he glanced between the sister

 

“Yes, gone, as in the planet my sister and I were born on is now a husk eaten by disease and death.” Ilum all but growled, Jehda’s hand resting on her shoulder as anger and bitterness rose in her throat. “Killed by the very leader that promised to protect us, only to take some of us away by force while leaving the rest to die. It was the **_fun_ ** part of having a force sensitive leader join The Empire.”

 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” The man’s face appeared crestfallen, eyes going glassy as he looked at them both.

 

“The past is the past.” Jehda shrugged. “It happened many years ago and there is nothing to really do about at this point.” she says, trying to lighten the sudden somber mood.

 

“It isn't in the past until Hethir’s still-beating heart is in my hands.” Ilum growled, snarling slightly. “An eye for an eye, death for death.”

 

“And on that pleasant note, you said order? Like the Jedi?” Jehda asked, tilting her head as the young blond one perked at the mention of Jedi.

 

“Ya! Ol’ Ben here used to be part of the Jedi back in the day. You shoulda seen him earlier, he just waved his hand at the one guy, and he just did whatever he told him.”

 

“Don't worry, I've seen what the Jedi can do…” Ilum said snidely.

 

Jehda squinted her eyes at her sister, humming at the thought of a past bounty hunt. “I don’t think that one guy really counted sis. He was so high off Spice, I don’t even think he remembered what his name was, let alone he could use the force.”

 

“I was thinking more of the hell our galaxy has become, but we can count that time, too.”

 

“Ya, your ‘order’ sure taught you guys well.” Jehda laughed. “One’s ruling the galaxy with an iron fist, and the others who are left are hopped up on drugs or living on the dustiest planet on the outer rim.”

 

“I'm sure it was great back in the day, though— before planets were destroyed for the sake of culling resources and selling the people into slavery.”

 

“Not all of the Jedi are like Vader!” Luke piped up, scowling slightly as he looked between the two. “Just because a few people turned out bad—”

 

“—We should just go back to blindly following the same people that destroyed the peace we’d managed to struggle together?” Ilum asked, raising her eyebrows as she looked between Luke and the Obi Wan. “A grandpa and the most naïve kid in the outer rim… this is the setup for a good joke.”

 

“The joke is that you're bad mouthing the same people trying to help you.” Luke snapped back, glaring hotly at the older woman.

 

“How about this, kiddo, I'll stop bad mouthing the Jedi when they actually do something to help people in need.” Ilum said, leaning forwards on the table. “Does that sound good to you?”

 

Seeing the old man, Ben, only staring in bemusement at the situation, Jehda rolled her eyes before gently pulling the kid back from her sister. “Trust me man, you do not wanna get in a cat fight with my sister, she has fangs and she’s not afraid to use them.” Jehda laughed, arm still around Luke’s shoulder before she winked at him, laughing again as she sees the faint blush that colored his cheeks.

 

Ilum’s only answer was a tense smile, lips pulled back enough that her sharp canines glistened in the fluorescent lighting. “You've never met a Firrerreon, but you'll have to learn something from us: we’re all the power of a Krayt with the beauty of a Varactyl.” She said, unable to help the chuckle as she watched him blush. “Nice meeting you, kiddo.” she laughed, before getting up and leaving, Jehda launching herself from the seat and over her sister, before spinning and waving at the pair of men.

 

“W-Where are you going?” Luke sputtered, staring wide eyed at the younger Firrerreon’s exit.

 

“To rest,” Ilum replied, the door shutting behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pæraṇi minihā hā eḷu kavuda?- Who’s the old man and the kid?
> 
> anek magīn- The other passengers
> 
>  mama hitannē api ovungē maraṇa pera un Tatooine piṭataṭa dina dahayak denna- I give them ten days out of Tatooine before we hear of their deaths.
> 
>  mama dannē næhæ ... pæraṇi minisā gæna yamak …-I don't know...something about the old man…
> 
>  ohu sahōdariya pēnavaṭa vaḍā væḍi yamak vē- He is more than he looks sister
> 
>  Ē mahalu minisā?- The old man?
> 
>  Ohu yanna paḷamu ennam…- He'll be the first to go...


	4. Trial and Error

Jehda woke up on the floor, the spot on the bunk she shared with her sister covered by the older girl’s splayed body.

 

“Did you really kick me out of the bed again?” Jehda groaned, stretching stiffly from her spot on the floor.

 

“The real question is did you punch me in the throat again while we were sleeping,” Ilum muttered tiredly, sitting up. “The answer to that question is yes, by the way.”

 

“Fight me” Jehda grumbled, blearily shrugging on her shirt from her spot on the floor.

 

“Not on someone else’s ship,” Ilum mumbled as she finally kicked her feet over the edge of the bed. “Throw me my clothes before I walk out there like this, please.”

 

Jehda rolled her eyes, throwing the mismatched pile beside her to her sister before smirking. “Well there’s one person on this ship who would appreciate it.”

 

“And who would that be?” Ilum asked, brow furrowed as she found her pants in the pile. “If you're talking about that Wookie, I swear…”

 

“Well I was talking about Han, but if you swing for tall, dark, and hairy…”

 

“Oh,  _ him _ .” Ilum said, face flushing slightly as she glared at her sister. “Well— force help that kid you were hanging off of earlier. Poor thing looked like he’s never been touched by a girl before, and you've got more knowledge on all subjects of that nature than most prostitutes in Jabba’s palace.”

 

“Don’t change the subject— **Oh no you did not, you** **oba ūru pradhānatvayen pūrhu!** ” Jehda screeched, pouncing on her sister.

 

“I say it with love---  **_I say it with sisterly love and affection!_ ** ” Ilum said quickly, darting towards the door with her grip on her pants the only thing holding them on her hips. The door caused her to pause for a moment, eyes widening slightly as she frantically tried to figure out how to work it, finally managing to release the locks. “You can’t kill me, I’m the one who knows all of our contracts!”

 

Jehda chased after her, lavender eyes narrowed. “Who say’s I’m going to kill you? I was thinking maim!” She growled almost playfully, still miffed at the comment her sister made. She stopped when Illum ran around the corner, hearing her squawk as she ran into someone.

 

Ilum had been looking behind her as she turned, barely having time to stop before she almost knocked Han to the ground, screeching slightly as she realized that she was  _ not  _ about to be murdered. “By the god’s, I’m—”

 

“You're naked— don't you people wear clothes all the time?”

 

“Only half-naked, and I had to run away from…” Ilum trailed off, face burning as she realized the situation she was in. Not only was Han staring— a little too closely, she noticed— but his declaration had caught the attention of the others in the hold. After a moment of uneasy silence, Ilum moved back from Han— who had practically been holding her up the entire time— and put on her shirt, not breaking eye-contact with them. “I'm decent.”

 

Jehda stood behind her, hand covering her mouth as she giggled at her flustered sister. “I win.” she laughed, skipping past her and into the main hold. Passing the game of Dejarik that the large Wookie and the little R2 unit were playing, she stopped at the sight of Luke holding a bright blue lightsaber in front of  droid. With a gasp of delight, she held out her hand and snatched it from his through the force, the blue light extinguishing itself immediately.

 

“Hey!” Luke yelled, lunging unsuccessfully for the lightsaber. 

 

“Jehda that's not a toy—” Ilum said quickly, taking it from her sister's hand. She stopped in shock, turning the metal around in her hand as she realized what it was. “This… this ain't a real lightsaber, right? I've only heard about these from when I was young.”

 

She looked up as she felt eyes on her, looking over to the old man. He'd been watching the events unfold, eyebrows raised as Ilum studied the metal cylinder. 

 

“Dear gods… it is real, isn't it?”

 

“Awesome!” Jehda yells, snatching it from her sister's grasp and closely inspecting it

 

“Don't just grab it, you'll take one of our eyes out!” Ilum said, swatting at her sister’s hand. 

 

Jehda only pouted at her sister, before looking back at the weapon. “The stabilizing ring is slightly crooked, but with how beat up this thing is, it's not really surprising.” She hummed, giving it a last glance over before tossing it back to Luke, giving a slight smirk as he fumbled to catch it.

 

“How long have you both been able to use the force?” Obi Wan asked, watching the two sisters. 

 

“I… since I was young, I think.” Ilum replied nervously, barely able to pull her gaze from the lightsaber. “I don't really know how I can do it— I started doing it when I was a kid behind my parent’s backs, and little by little it got easier until I’m where I am now. It's the same with how I know Jehda’s getting into trouble before anyone else, it just happened over the years.”

 

“I’ve been using it since I could remember.” Jehda hummed. “It’s a great little magic compass of- go that way, oh that person’s lying. It’s the reason I fight the way I fight.” She grinned, hooking a thumb toward the two vibroblades on her back. “Though you should really take better care of that lightsaber.”

 

“That lightsaber is from before any of you were born,” Obi Wan replied, watching Luke look it over. “It was first created during the Clone Wars to suit its owner.”

 

“This was used in the war?” Jehda gasped excitedly. “By who?”

 

“My father.” Luke said proudly. “He was a Jedi who fought in the war.”

 

“I'd hope so, otherwise creating it during the Clone Wars and not using it would defeat the purpose.” Ilum said sarcastically, laughing to herself as she sat down near Obi Wan. “How do you know all this, old man— did you fight in the war, too?”

 

“For a short time, yes.” He replied, looking lost in thought for a moment. “You have a lot of questions about the war for someone so cynical of the Jedi Order, Ilum.”

 

“I remember hearing about the later years of the war, that's all.” Ilum said after a moment, flushing silver for a moment. “I was too young to understand what the war meant, then.”

 

Jehda walked over to Luke, keeping an ear on her sisters conversation. “Okay, so before you start really playing around with a weapon that could cut through the hull of the ship and kill us all, let's practice on some form.”

 

“I have form!” Luke insisted, trying to train without listening to her. “It's not that hard to use one of these things.”

 

“Doesn't mean you're good at it. There's a difference between cutting someone down, and killing them.” Jehda said, reaching behind her and flipping out the two vibroblades from her back. “Then show me what you got.”

 

Luke stared warily at her, glancing from the lightsaber in his hand to the vibroblades in hers. “You mean you want me to try to kill you?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. 

 

“No, I want you to show me how you use that thing,” Jehda corrected, smirking to herself at his hesitation. “Trust me blondie, I can handle it.”

 

Luke looked between her and the distracted Ben, turning on the lightsaber as he tried to figure out how to fight without hurting the girl. 

 

“Go or I'll go first,” Jehda teased, a blade in each hand. 

 

Luke lunged with a yell, a weak swing that Jehda easily ducked under, the flat of her turned off blade slapping him in the side.

 

“Dead.” Jehda says, ducking at another poorly made swing.

 

Luke scowled angrily, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady himself. 

 

Jehda stopped, standing to her full height before sheathing her blades. She could feel the strong emotions that rolled off him, the strength of them almost overwhelming.

 

“In a fight, emotion has no place. There's no fear, no anger, what you have is you and death.”

 

“That's not very uplifting,” Luke said, frowning as he looked down at the lightsaber. “Let me try again.”

 

“There's no glory in combat blondie, only survival.” she shook her head at him. “There's no point, it would end the same way. Look at your feet, the way your arm holding your weapon is positioned.”

 

“How am I supposed to do all of that and fight at the same time?” Luke asked. “I can't focus on all that and try to fight all at once, no one can!”

“Everything depends on the style of fighting you are most suited for.” Jehda hums, gesturing for him to put away his saber. “My own relies on a lot of things. Speed, strength, agility, but most importantly the force.”

 

“You learned how to use the force?” Luke asked excitedly, putting the lightsaber away. “How'd you learn all this?”

 

“Trial and error, for people who are sensitive, somethings are second nature. When I was younger, I didn't really notice things that I did. I boosted my physical abilities, how fast I ran and how high I could jump. As I got older and realized I was doing this, I honed it, using the connection I could feel to to expand what I was capable of and finding new abilities.”

 

“How do you tune it?” Luke asked, furrowing his brow. “You don't look like you've had a trainer.”

 

“You don't need one, sweetheart.” Ilum said from her seat, smirking. “It's called trial and error— otherwise known as try it or die trying.”

 

“Ya learn quick that way.” Jehda laughed. “But one way to find that connection is through meditation.”

 

“She's right you know.” Ben chimed in sagely.

 

“Meditating is all nice and good, but I've found a boot to the skull and a blaster to the face works just as good.” Ilum replied, scoffing slightly. 

 

“That too.”

 

“Did you learn that by trial and error, too?” Luke asked incredulously, looking slightly scared as he glanced at Jehda. “You two’ve got to be joking about all of this.”

 

“I mean in our line of work…” Jedha shrugged,

 

“And what line of work is that?” Han asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked at the two women. 

 

“The fun kind!” Jehda laughed, winking at him.

 

“One of us dual wields vibroblades for fun, and the other has a blaster that's lost its shine from use.” Ilum said, frowning slightly. “You're the seasoned smuggler, you tell me what line of work we do.”

 

“So you two are moisture farmers like the kid over there,” Han fired back, smirking at Ilum. 

 

“The best all around, love.” She replied, leaning close to him before pulling away. “The force has one upside to it, and it helps us get the job done…”

 

“I, um— I don't think you use weapons for moisture farming.” Luke cut in warily. “What exactly do you do?”

 

“They're bounty hunters.” Ben replied bluntly.

 

“Oh… is that legal?” Luke replied, taken aback as he looked at Jehda. 

 

“If you go through the guild.” Jehda answered him. “Which we totally didn't, but ah- well let's keep that one a secret.” she said, reaching up on her toes to pat him on the cheek.

 

“That costs money and makes us deal with people, which we don't have nor want to do.” Ilum said lazily, shrugging her shoulders. “The Empire also doesn't like us very much, so that's another problem.

 

“Same for most of the people on the outer rim,” Han replied. “I think we’ll get along just fine,  _ sweetheart _ .”

 

“I told you to stop calling me that.” Ilum hissed, scowling slightly. 

 

Han’s reply was a laugh as he smirked at the irritated woman, reclining in his seat. “I know.”

 

“Keti taraga yanna.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> Oba ūru pradhānatvayen pūrhu!—You pig headed prude
> 
> Keti taraga yanna— Go fuck yourself


	5. Have a Little Faith

_Tears slid down the younger girl's face as she curled into her sister, the elder girl wrapping her arms around her._

_“It’s ok V, I have you.” Athleenia whispered in her native tongue, pressing a kiss to her younger sister’s h_ air. _Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, the change in heat almost too much for her to handle. She struggled to breathe, pulling her sister closer as the ship stopped suddenly. “We’ll make it through this, we made it through being frozen…”_

 _“I'm scared Athy, I want momma.” Varia whimpered into her shoulder. They were both suffering through the results from being frozen, and the sudden heat of their new home sent them into a sense of shock_.

_“I know, V, I want her too.” Athleenia replied, running her fingers through her sister’s hair. “We’re together, though, and that's all that matters.”_

_The door to the transport opened suddenly, bright light almost blinding the two girls._

_“There you two are,” a man said, standing over the two girls. He reached out and brushed the hair out of Ilum’s face, the other girl baring her teeth as she pulled away. “Aren't you two pretty…”_

_Ilum pulled away, eyes narrowed as her arms tightened around her sister._

_“I own you now.”_

* * *

  
Ilum startled awake, her sister's laughter bouncing around hold. Ben and Jehda both stood watching Luke attempt to redirect the little bot fire. She ran her fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves.

“Luke you have to feel it, your eyes mean noth-” Jehda gasped, crumpling to the floor, as Ben stumbled back into his seat.

Ilum doubled over in the chair she had been resting in, one hand covering her mouth as she struggled to breathe through the feeling of despair ripped through her. She knew the feeling from when she was younger, tears filling her eyes.

“Are you alright? What's wrong?” Luke asked them, crouching down next to Jehda.

“I felt a great disturbance in the Force... as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.” Ben said, voice hoarse as he ran a hand down his face.

“I..I haven't felt something like that since..” Jehda whispered shakily. 

  
“Since when?” Luke asked quietly, carefully steadying her. “Jehda… are you alright?

“Dear Gods… jīvitayē kāntāva, pahata dē gæna ovun samāva dī ovun sāmaya gena.” Ilum said quietly, crossing her hand over her heart before pressing two fingers to her lips. She tried to brush off the pain that had settled into her stomach, one hand gripping her seat tight enough that her nails cut into the leather. “Since Firrerreo was destroyed,” she finally answered, forcing herself to blink away the tears that had formed.

“You'd better get on with your exercises,” Ben said after a moment, fighting to straighten himself.

Jehda finally managed to pick herself up off of the floor, leaning heavily on Luke as he helped her stand to her feet. For a moment, she rested her head on his shoulder, before taking a step back to sit down. “It's fine, Luke, I promise.”

Luke glanced warily between Jehda and Ben, finally nodding his head once he recognized that whatever had caused them to become so overwhelmed had passed. The silent moment was interrupted as Han entered the hold, smirking to himself.

“Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told you I'd outrun 'em.” He said confidently, sitting next to Ilum. The room was silent save for Luke’s practicing, the other three in the room trying to regain their composure. “Don't everyone thank me at once.”

Ilum covered her eyes with her hand, shaking her head as she tried to stabilize herself. Her stomach was churning suddenly, the dream and pull of the force causing her more anxiety than she needed.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Han asked, noticing how ashen she had become. “If you're gonna hurl, I'll have to ask you to not get it on—”

“I'm… I will be fine.” Ilum said quickly, shaking her head as if it could free her from the weight of the past two days on her mind, not registering the fact he had called her the nickname again. “I don't like long flights; I always feel as if there isn't enough room or air onboard if I'm kept in a ship for too long.”

“Really, because you look like you've seen some kind of monster.” Han said, raising his eyebrows. “Anyways, we should be at Alderaan about oh-two-hundred hours.”

Ilum nodded quietly, looking back over to the game between the droid and the Wookie. Chewbacca had begun howling angrily, unhappy about a move the droid had done.

"Let him have it, it's not wise to upset a Wookie." Han said, quietly noticing Ilum's relief as his attention left her change of mood.

"Who cares about what move he made, anyways, it's just a game." Jehda said, laughing to herself as she watched the argument.

"Nobody worries about upsetting a droid." C-3PO interjected.

"That's cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their socket when they lose." Han replied matter of factory, chuckling to himself. "Wookies are known to do that."

"I see your point, sir." The droid replied, turning to R2-D2. "I suggest a new strategy, Artoo: let the Wookie win."

Ilum laughed softly, standing to her feet as she watched the game. She felt full of energy, the urge to pace the ship almost too much to fight. She huffed as she sat across from Ben, taking her blaster out of its holster.

The SE-14C had been with her for the past seven years, taken from a slaver that let his guard down after one too many drinks at a cantina. She'd polished it, modified it, and inscribed "free" on the hilt in Firrerrese in the years since, making it her trusted weapon in every fight she'd been in. She'd used a DH-17 before, the worn weapon barely working from years of use before she had gotten her hands on it.

She glanced up at Jehda as she began cleaning her weapon, barely needing to look as she took it apart. The other woman was watching Luke train, smiling as she tried to help direct him. The seeker bot he was training with was getting more hits in than the lightsaber, his fighting style jerky and untrained. The look in the woman's eyes was something that could almost be called endearment as she watched the boy, her eyes dancing as the seeker bot managed to hit him again.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." Han said, laughing loudly at the attempt to fight the bot.

Jehda gave him a short glare, rolling her eyes as Ilum chuckled to herself, suddenly preoccupied with putting her blaster back together. She glanced up at Jehda and smiled, shaking her head.

"You don't believe in the force, do you?" Luke asked, frowning unhappily.

"Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything." Han said, shrugging off Luke's obvious discontent. "There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny."

"So you believe in destiny, but not the force?" Jehda asked, laughing at his confidence.

"It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense." Han replied, shaking his head. "Nothing against you and your sister, though. Learning magic tricks is a good hobby."

Ilum smiled to herself and reached out, using the force to pull the blaster out of his holster. “DL-44, illegally modified… thought about getting one of my own before I got Nida.” She smiled and motioned for him to take it back, a playful smile on her face.

Han glared at her for a moment, taking the blaster back and putting it in his holster. “Alright, I get the point, you don't like me messing with your little mind games.” He huffed.

“I'm glad we’ve come to an agreement, sweetheart.” Ilum replied, eyes dancing as she dared him to correct her.

Ben smiled from his seat, laughing under his breath as he watched the two. “I suggest you try it again, Luke.” He said, pulling out a large helmet and handing it to him. “This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct.”

“With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?” He responded with a short laugh.

“Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.” Ben said, smiling at Jehda’s smirking face. They both watch as Luke swings wildly trying to deflect the bolts, yelping when one made contact.

“Stretch out your feelings.” Ben coaxed.

Everyone in the hold paused what they were doing, turning to watch as Luke froze in front of the seeker bot,  
finally managing to deflect the bot.

Ilum smiled to herself as Jehda let out a war whoop from the excitement, smiling even brighter as Luke took his helmet off.

“You see, you can do it.” Ben said, a smile tugging at his lips as Ilum gave Han a look of victory.

“I call it luck,” Han scoffed, making sure that his holster was snapped shut as he gave Ilum a dirty look.

“In my experience, there's no such thing as luck.” Ben replied knowingly.

“You should know it isn't easy to deflect blaster fire, since you've got a good blaster at your side.” Jehda said impishly, smirking as she moved to congratulate Luke. “Unless you're not as good as you boast.”

“Claws in, J.” Ilum teased from her seat, the pain she had been in before melting away at the familiarity her sister’s teasing.

“Look, going good against remotes is one thing. Going good against the living? That's something else.” A light flashed, catching his attention. “Looks like we’re coming up on Alderaan.”

Ilum followed him to the cockpit, curiously looking over the controls from over Han’s shoulder. “Y’know, my sister thinks something pulled us to you in that cantina…” she mused quietly, fingers brushing over the flashing buttons. “You might want to have a little faith.”

“You know, I did feel something. “ Luke said from behind them, beaming under the attention Ben and Jehda were giving him. “I could almost see the remote.”

“That's good,” Ben said sagely, smiling slightly. “You have taken your first step into a larger world.”

“Ya, you're doing really good for someone who's never-” Jehda jerks forward, holding onto the table in front of her as the ship shook violently. “What the hell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jīvitayē kāntāva, pahata dē gæna ovun samāva dī ovum sāmaya gena— Lady of life, forgive them and bring them peace in what follows


	6. It's Aldergone

“What the hell are you doing?” Ilum yelled, grabbing Han so she didn't lose her balance in the shaking ship. “Gods almighty— I thought you knew how to fly this damn thing!”

 

“What the- we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of the charts.”

 

Chewbacca grumbled, throwing switches as Jehda and Luke ran into the shaking cockpit.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“There's an asteroid collision according to our captain,” Ilum said over her shoulder, flushing as she let go of Han’s arm. “Asteroids don't just appear out of nowhere— show me your charts!”

 

“Our position is correct, except no Alderaan!” Han said, looking around as he tried to navigate the ship. 

 

“What do you mean? Where is it?” Luke asked, wedging himself between Chewbacca and Han. 

 

“That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid.” Han replied, shaking his head. “It ain't there. It's been totally blown away.” 

 

“What? How?” Luke exclaimed.

 

“Destroyed..By the Empire!” Ben says, entering the cockpit.

 

Jehda threw her hand over her mouth, horrified at the realization. “That's what that feeling was- so many people...”

 

“They did it again, but this time they didn't even leave a planet to rot away” Ilum said, shaking slightly as she looked over to Jehda. She looked almost dazed as she backed up, taking her sister’s hand as a shiver went down her spine. “How could they do this shit— who gave them the right?”

 

Han shook his head. “The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more firepower than I've…”

 

Both sisters jumped at the sudden alarm, lights flashing all around the room.

 

“There's another ship coming in.”

 

“Maybe they know what happened?” Luke questioned hopefully, before an ship shoots past the window.

 

“And Imperial Fighter.” Ben says, the ship giving another violent shake as an explosion hits.

 

“Well great.” Jehda yells, using the wall to steady herself.

 

“Maybe they've come to finish the job,” Ilum replied, a sliver of ire in her voice. “Jehda, I’d strap in if I were you…”

 

“Ya, ya I’m on it, I'm gonna grab my stuff. Better to be prepared when trouble comes our way.” She replied, going as fast as she could out of the still shaking cockpit.

 

“It followed us!” Luke yelled.

 

“No.” Ben shook his head. “ It's a short range fighter.”

 

“It sure is leaving in a big hurry. If they identify us, we're in big trouble.” Luke said, eyes wide in concern.

 

“Not if I can help it.” Han muttered.

 

Ilum took the moment to take a deep breath, mind swirling as she went through every ending to the crisis at hand. “I've been flying a ship of my own for years now until she was destroyed— what can I do to help?”

 

“Chewie...Jam their transmissions. Ilum, see what you can do to help.”

 

Ilum nodded quickly, moving to help with the controls. She kneeled down by Chewbacca, brushing her hair out of her face as she looked around at the controls. “I hope the empire bastards that took my baby never let me know who they are…” she hissed under her breath, trying to figure out the controls. 

 

“It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range.” Ben said to Han, calmly watching the ship fly away.

 

“Not for long…” Han answered back, teeth grit as he raced the ship after it.

 

Jehda ran back into the cockpit, vibroblades strapped to herself, throwing Ilum's holstered blaster to her.

 

“Thanks.” Ilum called to her, catching it without glancing away from the controls. She strapped it around her waist, still punching in controls as she tried to stop the transmissions. “Han, I'm not so sure this is a good idea…”

 

“A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own,” Ben pointed out, adding to the tension in the cockpit. 

 

“It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something.” Luke chimed in hopefully, watching the ship with wide eyes.

 

“Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us.” Han replied, gaining on the ship. 

 

“Look at him!” Luke pointed. “He's headed for that small moon.”

 

“I think I can get him before he gets there... he's almost in range” Han said, watching the ship with a concentrated gaze.

 

“Huh.” Jehda said, tilting her head with squinted eyes. “That's a strange looking moon.”

 

“That's no moon! It's a space station.” Ben gasped.

 

“It's too big to be a space station.” Han shook his head, in disbelief at what he was seeing. Chewbacca made a noise of shock, causing Ilum to look up.

 

“By the gods.” She whispered, staring at the steadily growing station. A moment of panic flooded through her, and she quickly looked down at the controls. “We need to get out of here— this baby can't take on something like that.”

 

“I have a very bad feeling about this.” Luke adds.

 

“Tell me about it.” Jehda mumbled. The closer they got, the more the feeling of dread curled around her. The force was loud, dark and twisted and dripping with malice that centered around one presence. 

 

“Yeah, I think your right. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power.” Han shouted, before the ship shuddered.

 

“Oh gods—jīvitayē kāntāva, naḍu vibhāga hā gæṭum mē mohotē apa ārakṣā.” Ilum whispered, trying to get the ship to reverse. She swore loudly as she flipped a few switches, heart racing. “Why couldn't you just leave the damn thing alone and keep going?”

 

“Why are we still moving towards it?” Luke asked, watching as Ilum and Chewbacca both fought to do whatever they could to keep the ship away from the station. 

 

“We’re caught in a tractor beam,” Han snapped, gritting his teeth. “It's pulling us in!”

 

“But there's gotta be something you can do!” Luke practically shouted, earning him a glare from Ilum. 

 

“Jehda, control your boy toy— Han, is there any more power you can squeeze out of this ship?” Ilum said quickly, slamming her hand down on a clear space in frustration. 

 

There's nothin' I can do about it, kid. I'm in full power. I'm going to have to shut down.” Han replied, shaking his head. “But they're not going to get me without a fight.”

 

“You're really going to try to fight that thing?” Jehda asked, already pulling her vibroblades out. “By the stars… I knew we were gonna go out with a bang one day, but I didn't think it'd be with this motley crew.”

 

“I told you we should've gone to someone else,” Ilum replied, pulling her blaster out as she muttered another prayer under her breath. 

 

“You can't win.” Ben cut in, stepping into the middle of the circle they had created. “But there are alternatives to fighting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> jīvitayē kāntāva, naḍu vibhāga hā gæṭum mē mohotē apa ārakṣā— Lady of Life, protect us in this moment of trial and conflict


	7. Surprise!

“I swear by the gods Ilum if you don't get in here right now,” Jehda growled from her place in the small smuggling hole. It was an easy plan: hide, and ambush whoever boarded. After that, well it was a unanimous decision to wing it, something that the sisters were well acquainted with.

 

“You'll do what?” Ilum challenged, shaking her head. She'd never liked small spaces, and the smuggling hole seemed like a death sentence. “I’d rather take on the empire single-handedly than get in that thing.”

 

“I will drag you in here.” Jehda groaned.

 

“I told you we shouldn't have gotten with pretty-boy over there, but you insisted that this ship was the one!” Ilum snapped, still trying her best to stay out of the hole. “Dammit, is there anywhere else I can go?”

 

“Well you can choose cramped hole over there with two droids, a wookie, and three grown men. Or this one here with me.” Jehda snapped.

 

“How about neither!” Ilum growled back, scowling angrily. 

 

“Get. In. The. Damn. Hole.” 

 

“Make me!”

 

“Don't make me knock you out and drag your ass in here.”

 

“Oh, for the love of-” Han yelled at them. “I understand you don't like the idea of sitting in a hole, but there's not another option, so get in the damn thing!”

 

“If you think you're getting paid after this shitshow, you're very mistaken.” Ilum snapped, finally jumping down beside her sister. “This is all your fault.”

 

“Oh stop pouting.” Jehda rolled her eyes at her sister.

 

“You know I don't like tight spaces,” Ilum growled, her heart pounding. “I can't even sleep in total darkness without thinking the walls are closing in, but let's just throw me into a hole in a ship being taken to the empire.”

 

“Ya, and I like living, so sit tight and shut up.”

 

“I hate you sometimes.” Ilum grumbled.

 

Jehda snorted, grinning at her sister in the dark. “You love me.”

 

“Doesn't mean you aren't a little shit…” she whispered, biting her lip as she heard voices nearing their position. 

 

Jehda put a finger to her lips, giving her sister a look.

 

Ilum nodded her head, one hand moving to her blaster as she closed her eyes, listening to the nearing footsteps. 

 

“You find anything yet?”

 

“Nothing yet sir.”

 

Footsteps finally passed their position, Jehda glancing at her sister with a smirk, before lifting the sliding door of their hiding place open.

 

‘Go time.’ Jehda mouthed at her sister, before she silently jumped out, feral grin on her face as she saw her chance. 

 

The others had already got outside their hiding place, leaving Ilum to get out of the hiding spot as quickly as possible without making too much noise. She slowed her breathing as much as possible, already feeling the silver spread across her skin from the panic she had been in. With her blaster in her hands, she looked around, checking to make sure everyone was alright, before a loud bang echoed down the hall the way her sister ran.

 

Ilum could only groan, quick to follow her sister down the hallway, raising her blaster in case of anyone around the corner— swearing at her sister under her breath all the way. 

 

“Jehda—” she said, stopping as she took in the now-dead bodies on the floor. “Dammit… I've decided that we are taking a break from this shit after we get to safety.”

 

“You and I both know that is not true.” Jehda smirked, pushing the large ruined box to the side as Han called down to the stormtroopers.

 

“After the crap I've been through this week, I'm serious.” Ilum replied, running her fingers through her hair. “I'm going on vacation, and it'll have to be the end of the galaxy as we know it to make me accept any contracts.”

 

“I think this is the most excitement we’ve had outside of bounty hunting in years.” Jehda grinned at her sister. “Now hide.” She hissed, yanking Ilum around the corner as the next stormtrooper came up the ramp.

 

Ilum quickly backed up into the corner, blaster ready for the moment the man’s back was to her. She waited until he was passed her before she grabbed him from behind, pressing the blaster into his neck before pulling the trigger. “This isn't excitement, this is fucking chaos.”

 

“And isn’t it great?” Jehda laughed, crouching down as she began to strip the stormtrooper of his armor. “Go help Han while I do this, he looks like he’s struggling, and we really don't have long.” she hummed, throwing a hand behind her.

 

“What the hell is pretty boy doing, anyways?” She asked, checking down the hallway for more stormtroopers. “I hope you realize how completely insane this whole plan is…”

 

“I really don't think there is a sane plan for this situation.” Jehda snorted, giving a slight cheer when she managed to pry the helmet off. “Han, come get your armor!.” Jehda called.

 

“Oh, lady of life…” Ilum muttered under her breath, realizing what her sister’s plan was as she snatched the helmet from her. “Han, you're about to be paying  _ me  _ for this trip.”

 

“And here I thought you were paying me.” Han smirked, taking the helmet.

 

“Farmboy had to have bounty hunting explained to him, and you want to put him in a stormtrooper uniform and pretend to be a part of the empire.” She snapped, arms crossed angrily. “I agreed to pay for an easy trip out of Tatooine, not this. If I knew you were turning me into a spy, I’d’ve made sure to get a contract.”

 

“Ya, well I wasn't planning this either. Now if you would excuse me.” Han muttered sarcastically, motioning to Luke as he slid on his helmet. “Ok kid, listen for your cue.”

 

Ilum followed him, glaring sharply at the back of his head. “Come after me and say I owe you money— get Jabba in on it later for all I care…” Ilum huffed under her breath, heading down the ramp with the rest of the group following behind, her blaster drawn. “I'll laugh in his ugly face and walk away after all this shit.”

 

Jehda patted her on the shoulder with a soft laugh, sharp hearing picking up her sisters mumbled words as they all headed to the control room, leaving Luke behind as the distraction. They crept along the hallway, Han leading the way with Chewbacca right behind him before they reached the closed door.

 

Jehda grinned, vibroblade in her hand as she peeked around Chewbacca, right in time for the door to slide open, the wookie’s arm swinging at the man on the other side.

“Surprise!” Jehda yelled, ducking the the furry arm with ease, and lunging at the other man in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the late update, but well it's that time of the year for college students were life is hard and finals suck the life out of you.


	8. I've Got A Bad Feeling About This

_"Just quit struggling, sweetheart, it'll be better for us_ _both.”_

_Athleenia struggled against the hands trapping her wrist, the cold air from the open door sending chills across her bare skin as she tried to kick— to do anything possible to get the man off of her. The twelve year old screamed as loud as she could, biting wildly at the hand covering her mouth. The man— her owner— growled angrily, forcing the rough fabric of her nightshirt into her mouth to quiet her as his hands roamed her body._

_“Athy, do you- Athy!” Varia screamed. The nine year old dropped the basket, laundry scattering across the floor as she lunged forward. “Get off her!” she yelled, shoving the blue skinned man._

_“Get out of here, bitch.” The man growled, shoving her to the floor with his free hand._

_Athleenia struggled against the man, kicking slightly as she looked at her sister, screaming against the makeshift gag._

_Tears ran down Varia’s face as she frantically looked around for anything to help, because nonono not this, not her sister— her eyes caught the reflection of a handle, the vibroblade he always carried abandoned next to his pants on the floor. Shaky hands latched onto it, the blades sheath falling softly to floor. A finger slid over the button, the low hum spurring her on to charge at the man, burying the blade to the hilt in his shoulder._

_The man jerked back, giving Ilum the freedom she had been looking for to rip the gag out of her mouth. She lunged forwards, grabbing the man by the shirt before biting into his throat, a metallic scent filling the air as blood gushed from the gaping wound she had left where his jugular had been, the man choking on his own blood as he fell over._

Jehda yanked her blade from the officer, flecks of blood splattering across her face before she turned and skipped over to the group just a Luke ran in.

“You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here.” He snapped, glaring at the group.

“Bring them on! I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around!” Han said sharply back at him.

“Ya, and we would all be dead. If you’d let us come in on our own, it would have been silent.” Ilum said, rolling her eyes.

“Can't hear a blade.” Jehda agreed, smiling as she sheathed the vibroblade.

“It's better for us to stay together in this place,” Ben replied, looking over at the sisters.

“We have found the computer outlet, sir.” C3-P0 interrupted. Ben is quick to go over, immediately feeding the computer information before a large map appeared on the monitor.

“So all we need to do is find the generator and get out of here,” Ilum said, looking over the droid’s shoulder.

“He says he's found the main computer to power the tractor beam that's holding the ship here. He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor.” The protocol droid said, waiting for a moment before the monitor flashes “The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave.”

Ben studied the data on the monitor readout, before shaking his head. “I don't think any of you can help. I must go alone.”

“That's asking for death in a place like this.” Jehda frowned, looking up at him.

“Whatever you say. I've done more that I bargained for on this trip already.” Ilum said, rolling her eyes as she leaned against the wall.

Luke barely glanced at the two women, insistent on following Ben. “I want to go with you.” he said, scowling slightly.

“Be patient, Luke. Stay and watch over the droids with the others.” He replied quickly, fastening his lightsaber to his belt.

“But they can—”

“They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan.” Ben said, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. “Your destiny lies along a different path than mine. The Force will be with you always.”

Everyone in the room watched him turn and leave, cloak billowing as he disappeared down the hallway.

“I hope the force is with him… Lady knows he’ll need it.” Ilum said sincerely, looking down at the ground.

Chewbacca growled, glancing over at Han as if asking him his opinion.

“Boy you said it.” Han replied, nodding his head before looking over at Luke. ”Where did you dig up that old fossil?”

“Ben is a great man.” Luke defended.  
  
“Yeah, great at getting us into trouble.”

“I didn't hear you give any ideas…”

“Blondie, I don't even think he has an idea.” Jehda sighed. “Now if you two will shut up and stop bickering, I really think we shouldn't be standing around in a room with dead bodies.”

“Does tend to make people look guilty.” Ilum agreed, shaking her head at the two men. “There's no use arguing about whose fault this is— not like the stormtroopers care.”

“Well then let's go, anythings better then just hanging around waiting for him to pick us up.” Han agreed, holstering his blaster and heading for the door.

“Wait, who do you think-” a shrieking whistle interrupted him, and Luke immediately runs to the R2 unit. “What is it?”

“I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir. He says, ‘I found her,’ and keeps repeating, ‘She's here.’” C3-P0 answers for the droid, head tilted as he listens.

“Well, who... who has he found?” The R2 unit whistles a frantic reply.  
“Princess Leia.”

“The princess? She's here?”  
  
“Princess?” Han interjected, glancing at Ilum as if she would know the answer. “What's going on?”

“Who all is on this ship, the entire remnants of the outer rim?” Ilum asked, eyebrows raised.

“Level five. Detention block A A-twenty- three. I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated.”

“Oh, no!” Luke exclaimed, looking over the droid’s shoulder. “We've got to do something.”

“Oh great, this is now turning into a rescue mission.” Jehda sighed off to the side.

“What are you talking about?”

“The droid belongs to her.” Luke explains, pointing towards the still whistling droid. “She's the one in the message... We've got to help her.”

“We don't have to do anything, and I'm not about to go on some suicide mission for a girl I don't know.” Ilum snapped, trying to gain some semblance of control.

“She's right— we don't want to be into any funny business, the old man said to wait here.” Han tried.

“Technically, you were the one saying we shouldn't wait around.” Jehda hummed, smirking at the glare Han gave her.

“Ya, and he didn't know she was here. Look, will you just find a way back into the detention block?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Han disagreed, crossing his arms with a scowl.

They're going to execute her!” Luke exclaimed. “Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here to be captured. Now all you want to do is stay. I don't get it!”

“Ya, well marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind.”

“But they're going to kill her!” Luke argued, frustrated at Han’s refusal to see his side.

“Better her than me…” Han said, shrugging.

“It might be us either way, so we could at least see if she's okay.” Jehda said, looking to Ilum. The other woman pursed her lips, shaking her head.

Luke opened his mouth to say something before he stopped. “She's rich.” Luke said quickly.

The whole room went quiet, Ilum standing straight from her spot on the wall, and Jehda perking up at the mention of a payload.  
  
Chewbacca growled lowly to Han, and asked the question they all were waiting for.

“Rich?”

“Yes! Rich, powerful! Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be…”

“What?” Han lead on.

“Well more wealth that you can imagine.

“I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit!” Jehda said, smiling to herself.

“A brand new ship worth of money?” Ilum asked, slightly hopeful at the idea of never having to get a ride from someone else again.

“Yes!” Luke replied frantically, seeing his chance. “You'll get it, all of it.”

“I’d better.”

“If I'm going to find this princess of yours, I'd better get paid for it!” Ilum said, gritting her teeth as she realized she might just end up agreeing to the idea. “My sister and I, at that.”

“You all will... “ Luke said, biting his lip nervously as the group decided on their stance.

“All right, kid. But you'd better be right about this.” Han looks at Chewie, who finally replied with a short grunt.

“All right,” Luke said, smiling to himself as the sisters nodded as well.

“What's your plan?”

“Uh... Threepio, hand me those binders there will you?” He asked, moving toward Chewbacca with a pair of electronic cuffs. “Okay. Now, I'm going to put these on you.”

Chewie let out an angry growl, startling everyone as his voice bounced off of the walls.

“Okay, the Wookie doesn't like bondage… note taken.” Jehda said, cringing at Ilum’s nails buried into her arm.

“I’m with him,” Ilum replied, giving Luke a short glare as he motioned at her with two more pairs. “You'll have to shoot me first— this ain't Jabba’s palace and I don't play around with kids fresh off the farm.”

“Okay. Han, you put these on him… Jehda, figure it out with h— your sister.” Luke said sheepishly, handing the binders to Han.

“I’ll go with you, but I think Ilum might fair better with staying here.” Jehda said, receiving a thankful look from her sister.

Ilum bit her lip, giving her sister a hug before helping her get the electronic cuffs on. “You be careful, V.” She said softly, squeezing her shoulder before getting her blaster out. “I'll have to kill your boy toy if you end up getting hurt.”

“Don't worry, Chewie. I think I know what he has in mind.” The Wookiee had a worried and frightened look on his face as Han bound him with the electronic cuffs.

“Master Luke, sir! Pardon me for asking... but, ah... what should R2 and I do if we're discovered here?”

“Lock the door and stay close to Ilum!”

“And hope they don't have blasters.” Han sarcastically added, nodding to the woman before motioning for them to leave.

“That isn't very reassuring…”

Ilum is watched her sister leave, the sight of her being led off in cuffs by stormtroopers causing her to look away, jaw tight. “Lady of Life and Lord of Death… I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Being Reworked!

So we both just kinda decided that we love this little thing we're creating, and that hey we both know we can do so much better! 

That's why we decided to do a total rewrite. We know with a little more work we can flesh out our characters so much better!


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